Xevious
Xevious is a 1983 shoot 'em up developed by Namco, a vertically scrolling shooter that proved highly influential on the genre and was designed by Masanobu Endo. Players pilot the Solvalou craft over an alien landscape, using a Zapper air-to-air blaster against flying enemies and a Blaster bombing reticle to strike ground targets such as tanks and installations below.
The dual-weapon system, requiring players to manage both aerial and ground threats at once, was a fresh innovation, as were its detailed, coherent backgrounds of forests, rivers, and roads, its persistent enemies like the spinning Toroid, and hidden secrets such as the buried Sol towers and the mysterious Special Flag revealed by bombing specific spots. It became one of the defining shooters of its time and a massive hit in Japan, notable for one of the earliest boss-like encounters with the mothership Andor Genesis.
Xevious helped shape the vertical shmup and inspired countless successors. The original remains available through Namco retro collections and emulation for fans of classic arcade shooters.
Play it today
Modern alternatives to Xevious, with the devices they run on and their price. Ordered editorially by how well each one stands in for the original, with community votes weighted in as they accumulate.
Prices, platform availability and Steam Deck compatibility can change at any time. Always check the store page before buying.
| Alternative | Price | Steam Deck | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xeno Crisis Indie | € 12,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Ikaruga | € 9,99 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
| Crimzon Clover World EXplosion Indie | € 19,50 | Steam Deck Verified | PC, Switch |
| Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 | € 19,99 | Steam Deck Untested | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch |
Xeno Crisis Indie
€ 12,99An indie arena shooter with a retro arcade look and dual-target shooting in the Xevious lineage.
Xeno Crisis runs on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Ikaruga
€ 9,99A modern vertical shoot 'em up with a polarity-switching mechanic and precise arcade design.
Ikaruga runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
Crimzon Clover World EXplosion Indie
€ 19,50A modern bullet-hell shooter with the same vertical scrolling and ground-target shooting Xevious pioneered.
Crimzon Clover World EXplosion runs on PC, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, PlayStation, Xbox.
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2
€ 19,99Eleven more Namco classics emulated faithfully, with Xevious among them.
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch. Not available on Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet.
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